Specifically, the businessman and former reality show host accused state lawmakers of directing water from the San Joaquin Delta away from farms and communities to improve habitats for delta smelt – though he didn’t mention the delta by name and he referred to the smelt as a “three-inch fish.”

“[California has] a water problem that is so insane. It is so ridiculous, where they’re taking the water and shoving it out to sea,” Trump told the crowd that cheered him and booed the smelt. “They don’t understand – nobody understands. There is no drought.”

Trump told the crowd that he had spoken to farmers about California’s water issues – including his claim to have been told, “No, we have plenty of water” – but he may not have correctly understood what farmers told him.

At the very least, his explanation of what was said appeared to have been off, said Joel Nelsen, president and CEO of California Citrus Mutual, a trade association for citrus producers.

Before Trump’s speech, representatives from Citrus Mutual were invited with others from the Central Valley’s agriculture industry to meet privately with Trump. Water was the primary topic.

Specifically, they discussed how the lack of water from four years of sparse rain is being exacerbated by the limited release of Delta water for farming to protect environmental habitats, said Nelsen, who wasn’t at the meeting but heard details about it from his two representatives there.